Dwight Howard had 31 points and 16 rebounds, Kobe Bryant also scored 31 points and the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Milwaukee Bucks 104-88. The Lakers beat up two mediocre teams at home, and it's a start. The Lakers will face off against the Heat this Thursday, and some fans will be going for the Lakers to beat the Heat, but sorry guys. Lakers must lose no matter what. If the Lakers beat the Heat it would be a big confidence booster.

How it happened: L.A. let an early 12-point lead disappear but ended up getting the victory going away by outscoring Milwaukee 25-15 in the fourth quarter.

What it means: Despite all the problems the Lakers have had this season, they still have plenty of life left in them. For the second straight game, they played with a sense of urgency -- particularly on the defensive end, where they held the Bucks to just 88 points and 35.8 percent shooting as a team -- and put forth the proper effort it takes to win an